Dirty Cop

I respect and appreciate our law enforcement people here in Michigan, and by and large I think they do a great job. Once in a while, though, we get a bad apple and wonder - how in the heck did this happen?

Here is one of those stories.

A police officer (to be accurate, a now former police officer), actually attacked his partner. As the Detroit Free Press writes,

Dupuis allegedly demanded that his partner, Prema Graham, who was driving the police car, stop for a soda. When she refused, Dupuis grabbed for the steering wheel before prodding her twice with the Taser as she warded him off with her free hand, police said.

He then recharged the Taser and drove it into her right thigh, police reports said. She was hospitalized with minor injuries and has since returned to work.

Wow - and this guy is supposed to protect the public?

Dupuis has worked as a police officer in Inkster, Ecorse, Hudson, Southgate, Highland Park and Hamtramck. He also worked as a Wayne County sheriff's deputy.

Depuis is 32 years old. That is quite a work history. Why would someone have so many different jobs? Because he wasn't a good officer? The Free Press sheds a little light on records this (less than impeccable) work history:

Feb. 17, 1997: Written up for careless driving while working for the Ecorse Police Department.

Nov. 4, 1998: Reprimanded by the Southgate Police Department for a incident Oct. 8, 1998, in which he allegedly beat up a mentally disabled man at a gas station.

Dec. 24, 1998: Accused of falsifying overtime slips while working for Southgate.

March 16, 1999: Accused of stalking a woman and repeatedly pulling her over, also while working for Southgate.

March 30, 1999: Told by the Southgate Police Department that his one-year probationary period would not be honored and that he would be fired. He resigned three days later.

Nov. 7, 2000: Laid off by the Highland Park Public Safety department.

April 21, 2002: While working with the Hamtramck police, he is accused, with another officer, of assaulting a man during a traffic stop, which resulted in a lawsuit.

Nov. 3, 2005: Accused of discharging a Taser stun gun and striking his female partner, Prema Graham, in the leg with the weapon

Nov. 5, 2005: Lawsuit settled for $20,000 stemming from traffic stop April 2, 2002.

Nov. 10, 2005: Fired from the Hamtramck Police Department.

Dec. 7, 2005: Charged with misdemeanor assault and battery in connection with the Taser incident

It is easy to rip cops, especially when one this bad hits this news. I don't want to do that - but it does make me ask, how in the world does this kind of thing happen? What kind of damage does it do to the public trust? Shouldn't a token background search provide some idea that this may not be someone you want on your police force - BEFORE YOU HIRE THE GUY?

Tags: Law Enforcement , Police